Dynamic announcing for creation of wireless communication connections

Abstract

Example electronic devices, including but not limited to implantable medical devices, and methods employing dynamic announcing for creation of wireless communication connections are disclosed herein. In an example, an electronic device includes a wireless communication interface to transmit announcement signals for creating a wireless communication connection with the external device. The electronic device also includes a sensor to detect a characteristic of an environment external to the electronic device, and a control circuit including an announcement timing control module to dynamically control timing of the announcement signals based on the detected characteristic.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An implantable electronic device configured to be implanted in a patient and configured to communicate wirelessly with an external device separate from the implantable electronic device, the implantable electronic device comprising:
 a wireless communication interface configured to transmit announcement signals used to create a wireless communication connection with the external device; 
 one or more sensors used to monitor one or more clinical conditions associated with the patient; and 
 a microcontroller configured to
 monitor for one or more specific changes in at least one of the one or more clinical conditions associated with the patient that is/are being monitored using at least one of the one or more sensors, and 
 dynamically control timing of the announcement signals in response to detecting at least one of the one or more specific changes being monitored for by the microcontroller. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The implantable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the implantable electronic device comprises at least one of an automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator, an artificial cardiac pacemaker, or an implantable loop recorder; 
 the at least one of the one or more sensors is configured to sense a signal indicative of cardiac activity of the patient's heart; and 
 the at least one of the one or more specific changes in the at least one of the one or more clinical conditions is monitored for by the microcontroller using the signal indicative of cardiac activity of the patient's heart. 
 
     
     
       3. The implantable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more of the following:
 an electrogram sensor; 
 a photoplethysmography sensor; 
 a thoracic impedance sensor; 
 a minute ventilation sensor, 
 an activity sensor; 
 a temperature sensor; 
 a posture sensor; or 
 an oxygen saturation sensor. 
 
     
     
       4. The implantable electronic device of  claim 1 , further comprising a real-time clock configured to provide a current time of day, and the microcontroller further configured to dynamically control the timing of the announcement signals based on the current time of day. 
     
     
       5. The implantable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the one or more sensors comprises at least one of an accelerometer or a gyroscope, and wherein the at least one of the one or more specific changes in the at least one of the one or more clinical conditions associated with the patient is monitored for by the microcontroller using at least one of the accelerometer or the gyroscope. 
     
     
       6. The implantable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the one or more specific changes in the at least one of the one or more clinical conditions associated with the patient comprises a change in heart activity, and wherein the microcontroller dynamically controls timing of the announcement signals based on at least one of a detected arrhythmic episode, a therapy delivered in response to the detected arrhythmic episode, or a patient notification delivered in response to the detected arrhythmic episode. 
     
     
       7. The implantable electronic device of  claim 6 , wherein the microcontroller dynamically controls timing of the announcement signals based on at least one of a detected ventricular fibrillation (VF) episode, a high voltage shock delivered in response to the detected VF episode, or a patient notification delivered in response to the detected VF episode. 
     
     
       8. The implantable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein in order to dynamically control the timing of the announcement signals the microcontroller is configured to at least one of i) increase an advertising frequency, ii) increase a number of advertising pulses per advertising cycle, or iii) decrease a pulse to pulse interval during the advertising cycle. 
     
     
       9. The implantable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the one or more sensors is configured to monitor heart activity, and wherein the microcontroller is configured to dynamically increase or decrease the frequency of the announcement messages in response to detecting a specific change in the heart activity. 
     
     
       10. The implantable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the one or more sensors is configured to monitor heart rate, and wherein the microcontroller is configured to increase the frequency of the announcement messages in response to the heart rate exceeding a first threshold or falling below a second threshold. 
     
     
       11. The implantable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors is/are configured to monitor at least one of a body position, or a physical activity level, and wherein the microcontroller is also configured to increase the frequency of the announcement messages in response to at least one:
 the body position being an upright position, or 
 the physical activity level exceeding a threshold. 
 
     
     
       12. The implantable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors is/are configured to monitor at least one of a body position, or a physical activity level, and wherein the microcontroller is also configured to cease transmission of the announcement messages in response to at least one:
 the body position being a supine position, or 
 the physical activity level being indicative of the patient sleeping. 
 
     
     
       13. The implantable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller is also configured to predict when to change a timing of the announcement signals based on the at least one of the one or more clinical conditions associated with the patient monitored using the at least one of the one or more sensors. 
     
     
       14. The implantable electronic device of  claim 13 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to predict when to change the timing by identifying a pattern associating user-initiated follow-up sessions and occurrence of a clinical condition. 
     
     
       15. The implantable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the microcontroller is configured to use the at least one of the one or more sensors to monitor heart activity of the patient; 
 the implantable electronic device includes a memory configured to store heart activity information together with a time of day at which the heart activity information was detected; 
 the microcontroller is configured to determine a trend in the time of day at which a pathological heart activity is detected; and 
 the microcontroller is further configured to dynamically set the frequency of the announcement messages based on the trend. 
 
     
     
       16. The implantable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the microcontroller is configured to use the at least one of the one or more sensors to monitor heart activity of the patient and determine whether the heart activity is a pathological heart activity and monitor for one or more cardiac events; 
 the implantable electronic device further comprises a memory configured to store at least one of the pathological heart activity and the cardiac event together with the time of day at which at least one of the pathological heart activity and the cardiac event was detected; 
 the microcontroller is configured to determine a trend in the time of day at which at least one of the pathological heart activity or at least one of the one or more cardiac events is detected; and 
 the microcontroller is further configured to dynamically set the frequency of the announcement messages based on the trend. 
 
     
     
       17. The implantable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the microcontroller is configured to use the at least one of the one or more sensors to monitor heart activity of the patient and monitor for one or more cardiac events; 
 the implantable electronic device further comprises a memory configured to store at least one of the heart activity or at least one of the one or more cardiac events when the patient triggers the implantable electronic device to connect with the external device; 
 the microcontroller is configured to determine a trend in at least one of the heart activity or the cardiac event occurring when the patient triggers the implantable electronic device to connect with the external device; and 
 the microcontroller is further configured to increase the frequency of the announcement messages when at least one of a current detected heart activity and a current detected cardiac event satisfies the trend. 
 
     
     
       18. An implantable medical device for monitoring physiology of a person, the implantable medical device capable of wirelessly communicating with an external device located external to the person, the implantable medical device comprising:
 a wireless communication interface configured to transmit announcement signals used to create a wireless communication connection with the external device; 
 one or more sensors used to monitor one or more system conditions associated with the implantable medical device; and 
 a microcontroller configured to
 monitor for one or more specific changes in at least one of the one or more system conditions associated with the implantable medical device being monitored using at least one of the one or more sensors, and 
 dynamically control timing of the announcement signals in response to detecting at least one of the one or more specific changes being monitored for by the microcontroller. 
 
 
     
     
       19. The implantable medical device of  claim 18 , wherein one of the one or more sensors comprises a sensor configured to detect a level of acceleration imparted upon the implantable medical device, and wherein the microcontroller is also configured to increase the frequency of the announcement messages based on the detected level of the acceleration exceeding a threshold. 
     
     
       20. The implantable medical device of  claim 18 , wherein the one of the one or more system conditions associated with the implantable medical device, which is monitored for by the microcontroller, relates to a battery charge level, and wherein the microcontroller is configured to dynamically control the timing of the announcement signals based on the battery charge level. 
     
     
       21. The implantable medical device of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more specific changes in at least one of the one or more system conditions associated with the implantable medical device, which is monitored for by the microcontroller, relates to a lead impedance, and wherein the microcontroller is configured to dynamically control the timing of the announcement signals based on an abnormal lead impedance being detected. 
     
     
       22. A method for dynamically controlling timing of advertising messages transmitted by an implantable electronic device to create a wireless communication connection with an external device separate from the implantable electronic device, the method comprising:
 monitoring for one or more specific changes in at least one of one or more clinical conditions associated with a patient within which the implantable electronic device is implanted; and 
 dynamically controlling timing of the advertising messages by setting at least one of i) a frequency of the advertising messages, ii) a number of advertising pulses per advertising cycle, or iii) a pulse to pulse interval during the advertising cycle, in response to detecting at least one of the one or more specific changes; and 
 transmitting the advertising messages using results of the setting. 
 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 22 , wherein the at least one of the one or more specific changes in at least one of the one or more clinical conditions associated with the patient being monitored for comprises at least one of specific change in a heart rate, detection of a specific cardiac event, detection of a specific neurogenic event, a specific change in body position, or a specific change in physical activity level. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 22 , further comprising providing a current time of day using a real-time clock, and wherein the setting is also performed at least in part based on the current time of day.